Ahkam Chowdhury has come a long way from his home in Bangladesh to being an applied mathematics student at Southeast.

Chowdhury had family members who had already been to the United States and endorsed the environment. And, he says, it’s an environment that hasn’t disappointed.

“I've enjoyed every moment of Southeast,” Chowdhury says. “Just walking down the streets, I can say ‘hi’ to a complete stranger I haven't even met, or just even in class going up to somebody and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And just making friends instantly because everybody's so friendly.”

Chowdhury and other members of the Southeast community get some of those chances to say, “hi” to new potential friends at various events throughout the month of November to celebrate SEMO’s international students.

Carpe Diem, the University’s annual cultural event, is an opportunity for the Southeast community to learn about the numerous cultures represented in our student body.

“And I feel like that that's one of the ways not just for international students, but for American students to increase the cultural diversity,” Chowdhury says. “Get to know more people, get to know more of the international students and get a taste of their culture in a way both literally and figuratively.”

Carpe Diem, scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, in the East Gym of the Student Recreation Center, is billed as a “great opportunity to ‘see the world’ from right here in Cape Girardeau!”

“I think it's a wonderful idea that SEMO tries their best to represent all cultures as much as possible, either through Carpe Diem or through different clubs and organization[s] like there's African Student Association, Bangladesh Student Association, Indian Student Association.”